Glacier Peak hires Snohomish assistant as new baseball coach

Published 11:34 pm Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Not far removed from helping guide a baseball team to a state championship, Bob Blair is taking over a program that has yet to play a game.

Blair was named head baseball coach at Glacier Peak High School on Tuesday. Glacier Peak opens in Snohomish this fall, albeit without seniors.

This spring Blair was an assistant baseball coach at Snohomish, which won the Class 4A state title May 24 at Safeco Field.

Blair, who has lived in Snohomish five years, previously coached at O’Dea High School in Seattle. He guided the Fighting Irish to the Class 3A state championship in 2005, as well as fourth-place finishes in 2002 and 2003. Blair was head coach at the private school for 10 seasons.

“I’m obviously excited about getting the opportunity to just start a program where there’s not been one before, so every mark on it is your own,” said Blair, a history teacher at Snohomish High.

The 43-year-old also will serve as Glacier Peak’s first athletic coordinator.

Working with Snohomish baseball coach Kim Hammons this spring helped Blair get a feel for community traditions and for the other teams in the Western Conference. Glacier Peak, a 3A school, will compete in the Wesco South Division.

No players from this year’s Snohomish varsity team will attend Glacier Peak, Blair said, but many of the youngsters he expects to coach next year were in the stands when Snohomish beat Kentlake in the 4A championship. The experience showed future Glacier Peak players what can be accomplished with hard work and commitment, Blair said.

“It’s something nice to build on,” he said.

A 1983 graduate of North Mason High School, located in Belfair about 16 miles southwest of Bremerton, Blair was an outfielder who played baseball at three colleges: Olympic College in Bremerton, MiraCosta College in Oceanside, Calif., and U.S. International University in San Diego.

Also announced Tuesday: Brad Johnson was hired to be Glacier Peak’s softball coach. Johnson was Archbishop Murphy’s head coach for two seasons (2005 and 2006). He guided the Wildcats to back-to-back district titles and 2A state-tourney trips.

Writer Mike Cane: mcane@heraldnet.com. Check out the prep sports blog Double Team at cmg-northwest2.go-vip.net/heraldnet/doubleteam.